Shoprite customers got a shock this week as they picked fruit juice off the shelf, only to find it was alcoholic.

Photographs circulated by angry shoppers via e-mail and social networks show a sangria packaged similarly to fruit juice, positioned among non-alcoholic juices on the shelves.

The message circulated contained a warning, especially for Muslims, not to mistakenly drink an alcoholic product thinking it was fruit juice.

On Facebook, Tilal Mall posted: “Warning! Shoprite is selling Sangria brand of fruit juices containing wine. It is packed next to the normal juices. Please warn fellow Muslims.

“Please be wary of this – it is all supermarkets.”

Later, Mall commented: “Shoprite should send a countrywide apology for that! “Putting alcohol in non-alcohol shelves.”

It is unclear in how many Shoprite stores the Sangria brand has been put with the fruit juices.

The fruity flavours of cranberry and apple, kiwi and litchi, and passion fruit Sangria are nestled between Cape Harvest and Fruitree juice brands.